a lot of the pixel choices don't me as much to me as overall effect each version has.
I see Neo's as clean, but quite empty, not in a negative way. It feels kind of less busy; abandoned, business isn't booming. This could be used advantageously, such as to generate suspense or interest in a list of ways such as:
1- "talk to x dude in this outdated bar", drawing interest to why the dude hangs out in a less popular area.
2-a calm before a storm.
For the original, I see it as boisterous, also not in a negative way. It feels busy, a pleasing chaos that you do find in bars. This could also have been used advantageously depending on the scenario.
1-"find x dude in this bar", drawing interest potentially to a posse or even to his personality as a more chaotic bar can be more party esque.
2- confusion or discovering an answer amid chaos
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personally I prefer the original for these reasons- your version does not feel as abandoned as the original felt boisterous. In that way I do not think it would be as effective or poignant as a setting which can carry a story. It seems more apt as a backdrop, which is of course not in itself bad
